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How to Find Death Information Before Vital Records Were Created

How to Find Death Information Before Vital Records Were Created

by | Beginner

Death Information

Finding our ancestors’ death information is a vital part of doing family history research. Doing so serves many purposes, and can help us to:

  • Differentiate between people of the same name
  • Find additional family members and determine correct relationships
  • Learn about our ancestors’ life experiences 
  • Learn about significant events and historical context
  • Gain a greater appreciation of our ancestors’ stories 
  • Feel a stronger connection to our ancestors
  • Propel our research and skills forward

The Challenge with Finding Death Information

There were a limited number of death records created in the United States before the 1900s; however, there are other ways and resources to find death information. (Make sure to check wiki pages and other online webpages to check when death records began for specific counties and states. Some locations had death records much earlier. New England states often kept very early vital records as part of their town records.)

If you find yourself researching in a time and location where vital records were not kept, here are some suggestions of records and resources to explore:

Mortality Censuses

Census enumerators recorded deaths that occurred in the twelve months before the 1850-1880 federal censuses special mortality schedules. These records often gave the deceased person’s name, age, birthplace, death date, cause of death, occupation, and more. Some of these records are indexed but many aren’t. A little search can help you find them for the area you are researching. Try the links below to find these valuable records or try a google search for your area as new collections are added online regularly. They are usually found under the county and state. 

Learn more about Mortality Censuses HERE.

Local Histories

Town and county histories, in addition to genealogical society journals, recorded lots of valuable information about individuals and families from the community–often including death information. They also recorded interesting historical details which can help to paint a picture of an ancestor’s life. Here are some resources to search, all of which are free:

Look for Clues

If you look closely, as with the family displayed below, you will notice that sometimes multiple family members died in the same year. This can be a clue that an epidemic or accident of some sort may have happened. 

Wikipedia has a great table of epidemics. HERE

Follow up with local newspapers to find stories about what may have happened during that time. 

In the case above, the family endured a terrible tragedy.

Newspapers

Newspapers contained many details of people’s lives that you won’t find in other records. FamilySearch centers have subscriptions to the Newspaper Archive for free patron use. Many local libraries have subscriptions to Newspapers.org and others.  The Library of Congress and MyHeritage also contain many historical newspapers. 

Cemetery Records

On FamilySearch, you can often find cemetery records that were created by churches, original sexton records, and historical and genealogical societies. These can often give more information than what can be found on Find a Grave because these records were often recorded at the time of death (church and sexton records) or transcribed from headstones that may no longer be standing or legible (historical and genealogical societies). 

Check out this cemetery record for someone born in the 18th century. Not only does it offer the decedent’s name, location, age at death, death date, and cemetery, it also provides his birthplace and year of immigration!

To search for cemetery records, try the following steps:

From the MAIN MENU on the HOME PAGE on FamilySearch:

  • Click on Search 
  • From the drop-down menu, select Catalog
  • In the search bar, type in the county with state and country 
  • Confirm your desired location by selecting on the option in the drop-down menu
  • Always choose the location you want from the drop-down menu

For example, it will be formatted like this:

United States, Alabama, Morgan  or 

England, Warwickshire, Birmingham

  • After selecting the location in the search bar, click Search.
  • This will take you to the catalog file for your research location.
  • Look for Cemeteries in the list of records.
  • Click on Cemeteries. This will open and display the available cemetery records FamilySearch has for the location. 
  • Click on the individual collections you want to explore. 

How to Use Cemetery Records

Within the record collections, there are several different formats you may come across. Not all have been published yet on FamilySearch. Here are a few ways to determine how to access these files: 

If you come across a collection that has a camera icon, that means that the images are available for anyone to view on FamilySearch.

These images are not indexed, so you may have to scroll through page by page. Some collections have an alphabetized, handwritten index for the records. Finding your ancestor’s name with the coordinating page number will save you a lot of time! The file indexes are typically in the beginning of each volume. 

Click on the camera to view the images. 

If you come across a collection that has a camera icon with a key over it, that means that the images are available to view on FamilySearch at any family history center [FamilySearch Center].

FamilySearch’s strives to provide as many records as possible to the public; however, they will always honor the contractual agreements with the original repository.

Many repositories do not want all their records free online because they sell record copies to individuals.

Note: These record images are not indexed, so you may have to scroll through page by page. Some collections have an alphabetized handwritten index–typically recorded in the beginning of a volume. 

If you come across a collection that has a camera and magnifying glass icons, that means that the images are available for anyone to view on FamilySearch and ARE indexed. 

Click on the magnifying glass to do a name search within the collection. You can also click on the camera and look through the images. 

If you come across a collection that has a film reel icon, that means that the images are on microfilm and not available yet on FamilySearch.

Microfilms are available to view at the Family History Library [FamilySearch Library] in Salt Lake City, Utah. Many are also available at the BYU FamilySearch center. Some films are also available at local FamilySearch centers. You can call and ask if they have the film at their location, and if they have microfilm machines. Make sure you have the name of the collection and film number ready when you call. 

Other Tips for Researching Individuals and Families

  • Research all family members as their lives were typically intertwined and family members’ records may provide information and clues about your ancestor. 
  • Look for clues in existing records. What information can you extract that may lead you to another record or other information?

Bringing Ancestors Back to Life

MyHeritage has continued to add amazing filters and features to their photo section. The DeepStory feature applies Artificial Intelligence to an ancestor’s photo and narrates events that are populated from your MyHeritage family tree. It is so cool! Give it a shot. 

In conclusion, finding our ancestors’ death information can help reconstruct families, learn of their stories, and grow closer and more connected to them. It is worth the effort to make these discoveries! 

Is Your Ancestor Hiding in a Census for the Deceased?

Is Your Ancestor Hiding in a Census for the Deceased?

by | Ancestry, Beginner, Family History Tutorials, Family Search, Favorite Genealogy Resources, Understanding Records

Did you know that there are census records that list individuals who died in the United States during certain years? I am excited to help you learn about this fantastic source of death records while also explaining its limitations. So, what is it and how do you find it? I am referring to:

UNITED STATES MORTALITY SCHEDULES

death records genealogy

Have you ever discovered an ancestor who died just before a census and wished so badly that they could have hung on a little longer so you could have accessed more about them? That predicament is incredibly frustrating if you don’t know who their parents were, and the person died prior to the 1880 census, which asked for their parents’ place of birth.

Or was there a family member in one census that doesn’t appear on the next? If so, mortality schedules may help!

The U.S. Federal Government took mortality schedules in conjunction with the following censuses:

1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880.

The 1890 Veteran Mortality Schedule is also available for many states. 

If you are lucky enough to be researching an ancestor from Colorado, Florida, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, or South Dakota, then you also have access to a bonus mortality schedule from 1885.

(These states participated in an interdecennial census to provide the federal government with specific information for administrative decisions on industry and agriculture, etc.) 

Some states also performed mortality schedules with their state censuses in the years 1855, 1865, 1875. 

 

The history behind these rare death records:

While collecting population data, census enumerators asked if anyone in the home had passed away during the previous year. More specifically, they recorded deaths that occurred in the twelve months before the census between June 1 (of the prior year) to May 31 (of census year). It is important to understand that not all deaths from 1849, 1859, 1869, and 1879 are available. 

Deceased person’s information, including the cause of death, was collected into a separate entry than the population census. One of the reasons this resource is so invaluable is that most states did not record vital death records at that time. In fact, some states didn’t collect death records until 60 years or more after these mortality schedules. You can see how this resource is a rare treasure for a family historian. Here is a summary of all of the information you can gather from a mortality schedule: 

Mortality Schedules

  • Name
  • Sex
  • Age
  • Race
  • Marital status
  • Place of birth
  • If widowed
  • Occupation
  • Month of death
  • Cause of death
  • Duration of illness (in days)
  • Parents’ birthplace (1870 & 1880)
  • How disease was contracted (1880)
  • How Long the Deceased had been a resident of the county of death (1880)
  • Physician (1880)

Where are these records held?

Many mortality schedules are online; however, they may not come up in record “hints” on your family tree and typically require a specific search because they may not be indexed. Don’t let this deter you! This tutorial will show you how easy it is to find them!

Many counties or state archives have indexed lists of these rolls. If your ancestor’s name is on one of those lists, you can then do an additional search to access the actual record. The number of deceased persons per county typically wasn’t extensive, so finding your ancestor in the image collection is not a difficult process. There may only be a few pages to look through, depending on the location.

How to access these invaluable records: 

 Ancestry.com

Instructions: The link above will take you to the collection. Use the search fields to input ancestors’ names, ages, and locations. Sometimes, less information is more, so it may be more effective to search by only the surname and place. That way, if the record has first name initials or misspellings, it won’t restrict the search. Using various spellings of a name is always a good idea! 

Limitations: The collection does not include every state or year. Use the toggle on the right-hand side of the page to see what states/years are available. If you don’t locate the recordset you need, try one of the next two options.

New Horizon Genealogy

Instructions: Click on the link and select the state you want from the menu. Then select the county and year. Those links will then redirect you to county pages and websites where mortality indexes are listed online. This is a very helpful resource!

Limitations: There are some notes which say there are no available online records for specific locations. However, with millions of records added all the time, this may not be accurate. I have found several mortality schedules for those “missing” states on FamilySearch through image-only collections (not indexed) or digitized books (indexed). If you run into one of those messages, try using the next step to look for the records. 

FamilySearch

Instructions: Use the following steps to find the records within the catalog: FamilySearch>>Catalog>>State Search>>Census Collections>>Mortality Schedules>>Images>>Records. I’ve included images of each step below to help you navigate to these records. 

Limitations: The only limitation to this process is that it takes a little more time, although it is actually a simple and easy search. 

Select CATALOG from the FamilySearch HOME page:

From the CATALOG page, type in the state you want.

A drop down menu will appear and make location suggestions. Select your preferred location from the drop down menu. This ensures that the system recognizes the correct place and returns all the records from that locality. Once you have the correct location in the search field, click SEARCH :

Find the CENSUS YEAR from the menu:

Click on the census collection by year.

Find the MORTALITY CENSUS SCHEDULES from the drop down menu.

Click on that link (in blue):

The record link will redirect you to the next page which will show you what records are available.

The records will be listed through additional links. Try the different links on the page to see where they direct.

Here are some options you may come across: 

A message that says, “To view this collection online: click here“, indicates that the collection has been indexed and is searchable. Yay! Click on the link to search for the record/image by person’s name and location.

Sometimes there are links to an online book on FamilySearch where the mortality schedule is listed. 

Specifically, look for record collections at the bottom of the page. A camera icon next the record set indicates it can be viewed online. A camera with a key over it indicates it can only be viewed at a family history library. A film icon means it is available at the family history library in Salt Lake City, Utah. If this is the case, save the link to that page (create a document for those quick links to come back to) and check back soon. New records are added daily.

Here is a picture of what to look for in this step:

The Image Collection

When I clicked on the camera icon above, it opened the image collection. This one (for Louisiana) includes all of the mortality schedules into one record set and a typed index of names at the beginning. You can thumb through those indexes to look for the county, years, and the names of people. Even if your state doesn’t have an index, the records are often alphabetized by county. Scroll through:

Here is an example of the index list from the above collection. It includes the year, name, and page number for the record (which may be different from the image number. If so, look for a page number that is printed on the image.):

      1850 Mortality Schedule, Ascension Parish, Louisiana. Downloaded of FamilySearch.org.

Here is an example of an actual record. It looks just like a census record, right? Because that is, basically, exactly what it is! 

      1850 Mortality Schedule, Ascension Parish, Louisiana. Image courtesy of FamilySearch.org.

If none of these resources have the mortality schedule you need, do a simple GOOGLE search for the specific location and year. ( Ex: “Maine mortality schedule 1870”). Every state is different and a quick internet search may offer other online resources. 

Additional Ways to Use Mortality Schedules in your Family History Research:

  • To find children or babies who may have been born and died in-between census years. Parents’ names aren’t listed, but through surname, parents’ birthplaces, and other clues, you may be able to find that child in a cemetery and determine if they were a child of an ancestor. 
  • To learn family medical history.
  • To gain detailed information about African-Americans. This is especially helpful for researching enslaved individuals as it offers vital details about their life/death, place of birth, and where their parents were born. You may find more information on a mortality schedule than any other record. 
  • To learn more about all minority groups, where they were from, and what industry they worked. 
  • To learn about migration patterns in a family by discovering where an ancestor or their parents were born. If a person is listed on the 1850 mortality schedule, it may have been the first record where their birthplace was recorded. 
  • To learn more about women and children not recorded on previous records. Maybe there is someone that should be in your tree but has never been discovered. Peruse the 1850 mortality schedule and look for family surnames. Only head of households were listed on the 1840 census, so most women, children, and even young adults did not appear in those records. The 1850 mortality schedule offers pertinent information for those whose names may or may not have appeared on any other document. 
  • To learn more of the difficulties that your ancestors endured in their life. These records can paint a broader picture and help you learn more about your ancestor’s story. Did they die from an accident, a plague, a fire, tornado, etc.? You may be able to use the information you discover and learn more through a historical search or newspapers at the time. What was life like for a county that was plagued by cholera? What were the details of the tornado that hit their town? How did the people move forward after such events? You can learn a lot about the significant events of your ancestors’ lives through the accounts of others and in newspapers. These details can also help you to understand what family members of the deceased might have experienced. 

 

Worth the Effort?

It may seem like the odds of finding a family member in one of these records are small, but you may be surprised. Do a quick scan of your family tree and look for individuals who may have died in the year before a census. 

I found many candidates as I did so. I was so amazed and excited by the information I discovered. I knew right away I wanted to do this tutorial. 

Have you ever found any gems through mortality schedules? I would to hear if this process helps you to find something new. 

A Quick Research Trick for Finding More Family History Records

A Quick Research Trick for Finding More Family History Records

by | Beginner, Family History Tutorials, Family Search

If you have two minutes for this quick video tutorial, I’m willing to bet that it can save you hours of research time once implemented. It is one of my go-to research tricks that helps me have so much more success finding family history records for my ancestors. It is super easy yet can yield great returns! Let me know in the comments please if this step has helped you!

Also, if you haven’t subscribed yet to my YouTube channel, please do so! I have lots of exciting new content to share very soon and I’d love your input! Thank you!

(Click the link in red to go to my channel. See you soon!) 🙂

How to Get Photos of your Ancestors That Aren’t Online

How to Get Photos of your Ancestors That Aren’t Online

by | Ancestry, Beginner, Family History Tutorials, Finding Photos of Ancestors

Searching for Old Family Photos

Not too long ago, I did not have a SINGLE PHOTO of an ancestor. When I began doing family history research, I was thrilled to find a handful on Ancestry.com. However, I learned that if I wanted to access more of my ancestors’ photos, then I needed to make some actual connections with distant family members. I didn’t want to wait years for the possibility that someone might upload them to family history sites when I knew there were photos out there on shelves and in attics of distant cousins.

It might seem intimidating, but before you discount this idea, I recommend that you at least read through these ideas and consider them. What has taken a small investment of my time has returned with priceless family treasures! It is so worth it and I am here to walk you through it, step-by-step! 

Through experience, I have learned what does and doesn’t work when it comes to reaching out to long-lost cousins and have compiled all these tools into a list for you. I have used this process many times and am so excited to share it so others can have success at finding old family photos and can experience the joy and excitement I have. 

Here is the method I use when requesting my ancestor’s photos from distant relatives:

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO FINDING ANCESTOR’S PHOTOS

 

  • Choose one family line- or ONE ANCESTOR, whom you’d like to learn about more. 
  • Create a family tree for that line and work on finding their descendants, rather than their ancestors. This is called descendancy research, rather that ancestral research.
  • Start with the ancestor you want to find photos of and after adding their information- such as dates and locations, add all of their spouses and children. Then fill in the next generation(s). 
  • The goal here is to make your way down until you Find Living Relatives! Ask your close living relatives (parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles, etc.) about any extended family members they know. Write down any names and other information they may have-such as location, occupations,etc.
  • Use hints on your family tree to fill in additional family information. 
  • Look for obituaries for the family. Obituaries often give names and locations of the living family members.
  • Use Google, Facebook, and people finder sites to locate even just one or two living relatives. You can start there and see where it leads. Keep notes of what you have found and what is missing.  
  • As you research all the children of your ancestor,  don’t forget to include their spouses and children. Then find the last known locations where they lived. Add all of this information to your family tree or to a document. Online trees will keep information private for all living people, so just make sure they are marked as LIVING in your family tree.  I also love using GOOGLE DOCS for notes and memories, etc. It’s free, it automatically saves all of your work, and you can use the app on your smartphone when you are away from the computer. All you need is a gmail account to also access Google Docs for free. LINK HERE
  • Once you locate living relatives, you will need to choose who to reach out to first and then write letters, Facebook messages, and/ or make phone calls explaining who you are. It is essential to give your relationship- how you are related to your ancestor and them. Explain that you have been researching your ancestor and want to connect to the other family members. Be specific with the necessary details. I usually start by contacting one person and go on to the next one if needed. There’s usually no need to write everyone unless you have an urgent request. I usually gain some information as to how to proceed from the first or second contact, so that is why I don’t typically send out more than one letter at a time. However, it is up to you. 

Here is something to keep in mind when trying to decide who to reach out to first in a family for memorabilia. Start with the youngest daughter and her children. She was probably the last child living in the home with her parents and is often a caregiver for parents in their latter years- therefore, she typically inherits the family photos and such. 

How Should You Introduce Yourself?

 Here is one example of what you could say, “Hi there. My name is Melissa. My mother’s name is Sallie Rogers, and she was the daughter of Ben Rogers from South Carolina. I am looking for a distant cousin named Tom Harrison. Do I have the right person?”

If they say you have the right person, you could proceed by saying,  “Yes? Oh great! I believe your grandmother may have been my grandfather’s sister. I’ve been researching our family and looking for some of my relatives and came across your name. Was your grandmother Frances Rogers from South Carolina?” 

 Lead into the rest of the conversation from there. 

  •  When reaching out via phone call, do not immediately ask for photos or anything other than making sure you have the right person. Wait for a response before you proceed. 
  • If you’re sending a letter or email, attach a photo of yourself or your family. Tell them a little bit about yourself.  Be transparent about who you are. It will help to build that trust quickly. Some people are very wary of being scammed and for a good reason!! Some people can form a connection quickly over the phone by hearing your voice and intent, but that can be harder in a letter. So you’ll want to include something that helps them to trust you. 
  • Ask them about their branch of the family (but don’t ask anything too personal) and try and make a connection! Build on something! Be sincere. Please don’t be fake. These are your relatives! You could ask them if they keep in touch with other cousins, ever visited Grandma’s home etc. 
  • If this person is a “sharer”, please listen to what they have to say. Especially if it is an older person, you may be the first phone call they’ve had all week. Remember that the older they are, the more information they may have to into the family history. They deserve to be cherished as if they were a sea of family knowledge- because they probably are. Take notes! 
  • Share a little bit about your journey, but keep it brief. Your distant relatives don’t need to know how many hours you have spent researching this ancestor and every frustration you’ve encountered. Just explain why you are researching this ancestor and what they mean to you.

How to Ask For Ancestors’ Photos

  • After properly introducing yourself, ask very politely if they had any photos (or stories or other memorabilia) they would be willing to share. Briefly reiterate why it is so meaningful to you. Try and spark an emotional response. This is what causes people to take action! It doesn’t require you to share your whole life story or give a sob story, but you will want to share a reason of WHY you want them. Open up a little bit. Formulate a genuine reason that you’re comfortable sharing. Be sincere and truthful.

Examples of How to Ask for Photos

 “I would like to learn more about Grandma Rogers and her life. I’ve never seen a photo of her, and it would mean the world to me to see what she looked like.”

I typically think it is best to be positive with a stranger, but if you have a brief personal story that is a little tender and you feel inclined to share, go with your gut.

For example, “My mom’s family moved when she was very young, and she missed her grandmother very much. She never had a photo of her grandmother- only memories in her heart. I would love to find a photo of her grandmother as a surprise. It would be the greatest gift to give my mother!”

How would you respond if someone asked you like that verses just saying, “Can you send me copies of any photos you have of the family?” 

 

  • If they say they do not have any photos of your ancestors, ask if they have any memories, traditions, or stories that were passed down. And also, ask if they know anyone else you could ask. If you talk to one person who had 5 siblings, ask them who is still living and might have any information. You could also ask if they would be willing to give you the best contact information for that person. They could save you a lot of time! 

Feel out the situation. Don’t be a nuisance if someone doesn’t sound interested in talking to you. But if they are receptive and friendly, be ready to ask a few more questions to help with your next step (within reason- no interrogations) so you don’t have to keep calling them back. No one likes a stalker. 

TIP:

Also, remember that sometimes a widow may have photos for her husband’s family. Just because your male cousin may be deceased, does not mean that he shouldn’t be considered. Include the spouses of family members as much as you consider the blood relatives themselves!

  • If your relative says that they have some photos they could share, show your excitement, and then offer a way to make it easier for them to get them to you. Offer to pay for the scans and/ or copies and offer to pay for someone to do the scanning for them (like a copy center, etc.).  Many people are overwhelmed by the process of scanning photos- especially if there are many or if the person is not technologically savvy. Showing that you are willing to help makes people more inclined to help you because it makes their part easier and they can see how much it means to you!!! 

Depending on how many photos they have will probably determine whether the scans should be emailed, printed, or put on a flash drive and mailed, etc. You can discuss these options once they tell you what they have in their possession.

Another piece of advice I would offer is to go along with whatever process they are most comfortable with! For instance, after you make some suggestions, if they suggest something different, JUST GO WITH IT! For example, if it is easier for them to makes copies at Walmart and mail them, gladly accept! Even if that isn’t one of your suggested ideas and if it costs you more money than having them scanned and emailed, remember that uploading and emailing photos may be a daunting task for many people and they may feel overwhelmed at your request.

I like to tell my relatives, “I am fine with whatever is easiest for you! Just let me know how you would like me to help and pay you for them.” 

If you push them to send them in a way that is unfamiliar and intimidating, then you may never see those photos. A well-meaning person may write you off if you ask something that seems too difficult to them. Even if you think you are suggesting a plan that is really easy, if it is foreign to them, they may think it sounds hard. Remember that the goal is to acquire family photos. If you let them help choose a method that they can accomplish easily and fits well into their comfort zone, you are much more likely to receive the photos! 

**As a side note, although I have offered to pay for photos/scans every time, I have never actually had someone let me pay them. I offered this with an absolute intention to pay but the relatives I contacted ended up scanning and emailing or taking a picture with their phone and texting. (Which by the way, that isn’t a *perfect solution, but beggars can’t be choosers right?) If you really want those photos, be willing to either pay or settle a little bit. I am grateful for all the photos I have received- regardless of the method. It’s important to recognize that they will be such a joy to you even if they aren’t perfect scans! Be willing to let go of expectations of perfection. 

  • Always offer to SHARE anything you may have  with your newfound cousins! Documents, information, your own family stories and traditions, and family trees, etc. are great things to offer! If they aren’t interested, don’t push it, but at least offer to reciprocate in some way! 
  • Give them your contact information (preferably more than one method) to get back in touch with you.  Or ask them if you can call them back again sometime. (Not too soon). 
  • Express Sincere Gratitude for their willingness to talk to you and consider your request!
  • Send a thank you card, stay in touch, become friends on Facebook if you feel they are interested in having further contact. Don’t force it but do INVITE. 
  • After you have completed the process, REPEAT it for another ancestor. 

Successful Interactions

This process wasn’t very comfortable for me in the beginning, to ask strangers (even related strangers) for a favor. Still, I have found the overall response has not only been positive but also very rewarding! Not only have many cousins shared some pictures with me, but they also have kept in touch and been interested and excited to learn about other members of the family. I have been humbled and surprised at the generosity of others who are willing to help.

This certainly isn’t always the case, and there are many reasons some people do not join in your quest such as illness, difficult life circumstances, busy workloads, etc. so try not to judge if someone is a little gruff. You probably won’t understand what is causing their resistance. In that case, just apologize, thank them for their time and wish them well. You never know what they might think or decide to do after you have hung up the phone. They may choose to call you back the next day if you were polite and respectful. So don’t burn any bridges.

I find that more often than not; extended cousins are happy to help or direct you to someone else. Hopefully, like me, you will be able to look back in a short time and realize how much you have gained in family memories and memorabilia if you will take the time to go after them!

Have you had any luck obtaining your ancestor’s photos using this method or anything similar?

I will send a prize to the first person who tries this method and leaves a detailed review or comment! Please share your wisdom or experience in the comments below! 🙂

Family Search is a free site that has many photos that have been added by contributors.  Click the link below for a tutorial on accessing what is available there.

How To Easily Transfer Records Using Record Seek

How To Easily Transfer Records Using Record Seek

by | Ancestry, Beginner, Family History Tutorials, Family Search

We all know how important it is to document our genealogy research. Not only does it help to verify the correctness and location of the information, but it is extremely helpful when you need to find it again. I have come across some exciting information in Family Search and Ancestry for an ancestor, only to discover that the person who added the data gave no indication of where they found it. I think that happens a lot because many people just don’t know how to create a source for their discoveries. But, one of the greatest blessings of having online trees is the opportunity to collaborate and learn from each other! And I always want to give thanks and credit where it is due!

So if you have ever found a record, document, book, or any other source for an ancestor and wanted to save it to your tree but didn’t know how, then this tutorial is for YOU!  I hope you will love learning how quick, easy, and convenient it is  to create these sources in Family Search or Ancestry using Record Seek. Feel free to leave any other questions below.

You can find the Record Seek extension HERE. 

 

 

How to Set Up a Free Family Tree In FamilySearch

How to Set Up a Free Family Tree In FamilySearch

by | Beginner, Family History Tutorials, Family Search, Favorite Genealogy Resources, Start Here

Getting Started

Do you want to learn about your family history but don’t know where to start? If so, this post is for you.  There are probably a million and one ways to begin your family history and they are all great. There’s no one right or wrong way. Doing family history is a wonderful and rewarding journey and any method you choose to start will reap benefits.

However, so many options can make it overwhelming for many people to know which is best.

That is why this tutorial is going to guide you through setting up a tree in FamilySearch.org. 

Here are a few reasons that FamilySearch is the perfect format for beginners (but not only beginners!).  

  •  It’s FREE
  • It is a collaborate tree; therefore, multiple people share the research, photos, and stories etc. for common ancestors.
  • It’s user-friendly and has a lot of great features on the site for all ages to enjoy.

Make sure you have created your free account In FamilySearch and are on the home page. Select start (Circled in the photo below). 

This will take you to a new screen.  There is a short video tutorial on the middle left that can help, but I will also show you step by step so click on the blue START NOW button.  

ADDING YOUR PARENTS

The next screen will ask you about your father.  Include as much information as you can but don’t stress too much if you don’t know all of his vital information.  You will be able to add in or correct information later if you need.  The more you know, the better, but don’t feel like you have to call all of your older aunts, uncles, cousins and the courthouse to get every record.  You will probably be surprised what will be at your fingertips in Family Search once you get connected.

If don’t know your father, just click SKIP, and it will take you to next screen where you can start working on your MOTHER’S LINE.

One of the most important selections are the LIVING or DECEASED buttons. 

Make sure you select the correct option.  Family Search is ONE GIANT COLLABORATIVE TREE. 

If your parent has passed away, their information may already be in Family Search.  You will want to see if there is a match available.  I’ll show you that process in one of the next steps, but keep that in mind.

 Information on living people are kept private in Family Search.

Filling in the parent information:

Once you have entered in your information, it will list it back to you.  If this looks correct, click NEXT.

This will take you to the screen for adding information on your mother. 

ADDING YOUR GRANDPARENTS

 After your parents have been added to the tree, it will ask you about your grandparents.

Follow the same steps as listed above for your parents. 

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHICH SIDE OF THE FAMILY YOU ARE FILLING IN!

Add as much information as you can, but don’t worry if you have to make some guesstimates.  Even guessing a little on the date or location can help narrow down search results.  If you aren’t sure of the town, but you are pretty confident on the state, then JUST ADD THE STATE.  Sometimes less information is more when you are making a guess.  

Standardized Information

There is another thing that is important but a lot of people skip over. 

When you begin to type in vital information such a date or location, there will be a drop down menu to offer you some suggestions. If a suggested date or location pulls up that correlates with the correct information, SELECT IT- EVEN IF YOU’VE ALREADY TYPED IT IN!

This is why this is so important.

 FamilySearch, like any website, has a preferred method for data entry. In FamilySearch it is called STANDARDIZED FORMAT. Not only does standardizing information keep the pages looking nice and tidy, but when the vital information is standardized, the system is able to scan its database for correlating records and information more effectively.  Basically, this means the system can do a much better job of finding record hints for your ancestors. You want those! 🙂 

So, ALWAYS CHOOSE FROM THE DROP DOWN MENU if you can. 

If the system doesn’t give you a correct suggestion, put the information in as you know it and move on.

AN EXAMPLE OF SELECTING A STANDARDIZED LOCATION:

Here is an example of adding my grandmother-

After typing in her information, a window popped up with the following information:

Because my grandmother is deceased, Family Search scanned the site to see if she was already in the tree and they offered some matches. 

Make sure to look through the suggested matches and CLICK SELECT  if you see the right person in the list. 

This is going to jump start your tree and save you a lot of work.  By only having each person in the tree once, it keeps things organized and helps to make connections, research and use records more efficiently. 

If you do not see the correct person in the match list provided, select NO MATCH and move on. 

There is a way to merge two people also if you later find that you have made a mistake.  Don’t be afraid to use the system because its new to you.  You will learn as you go and you aren’t going to break anything. 

Any mistakes can be corrected (and don’t we learn by trial and error?) but it will save you time and headache if you can choose the correct entries from the start.  

GREAT-GRANDPARENTS

The next steps are the same for adding your GREAT-GRANDPARENTS.

Since I found matches in the system for my grandparents, there was a good probability that they were already connected to their parents in the tree. So, I chose not to manually input my great- grandparents at that point, but selected SKIP to go on to the tree instead. 

If you do the same and find that your grandparents are not connected to their parents, don’t fret. They can still be easily added.

Being able to put in a generation or two and have the rest of your tree generate for you is one of the benefits of a collaborative tree.  And of course, this won’t be the case for everyone. FamilySearch tree is worldwide, but if your family is from countries where family records and documentation are sparse, there may not be much in the system on your ancestors. This is why it is important that we all collaborate and add what we know or have.

At this point, your family tree will generate and be ready to view. 

If you’d like to learn how to navigate through the different views and options in the tree, Click on the fan chart photo below to take you to another tutorial. 

DIVING IN

Once you are on the family tree view, it is helpful to know that each person’s name is also a LINK. When you click on a name, it will take you to their PERSON PAGE where you can see the vital information, sources, and memories are attached to them.  If there isn’t much information yet, don’t despair.  There is the potential for all of those resources to be added over time.  w

EXPLORING THE PERSON PAGE

From the person page, click on and explore through the menu options/ tool bar- specifically the memories tab. This is where photos and stories are located for each person. Hopefully you will find some of these already added for some of your ancestors.

The sources tab is where documents and records are kept.

These are both great options for beginners to learn about their ancestors from the information and memories that have been added by others. You are on your way to discovering your family history!

There you go! You now have a family tree!

I hope this post has helped you to start your family history journey and answered some questions. Make sure to check through the other tutorials on the home page to help you learn more of the basics. 

How To Navigate the Family Tree In FamilySearch

How To Navigate the Family Tree In FamilySearch

by | Beginner, Family History Tutorials, Family Search, Start Here

     I am so excited to share some of the amazing features you can use with the family tree on FamilySearch! There are so many ways that these advancements can be utilized. If you haven’t explored them before, I hope that you will do so and make some new discoveries! (To get to the family tree, just click on Family Tree from the homepage or on the menu bar from any page on FamilySearch, as highlighted below. And if you need help getting started setting up your family tree in FamilySearch, start with this post HERE.)

Note- This tutorial shows the web browser view. Various viewing options are also available on the family tree app but are not shown here.

In these first three photos, you will see the default view of the tree.  This view of the tree is called LANDSCAPE.  As you will see below on the top left, there is a drop down menu with other options.  Landscape view is great for seeing the people’s names, dates and relationships as well. Look for the drop down menu below each couple, which will give you a list of their children. You can use to arrows to the right to branch out on each family line.  

This next view is called PORTRAIT. Use the drop down menu to select portrait.  If you have a lot of photos in your tree, this is a great way to visually see your family members in the tree.  Use the arrows above a line to branch out. This is also the view which is used on the app. 

The next view is the fan chart. The fan chart was recently updated and I LOVE IT!!! This is super fun and worth sitting at the computer for.  Once you get to the fan chart from the drop down menu, there will be another drop down menu with 6 options! Family lines just gives you the basic fan chart. 

When you click on birth countries, it gets more exciting and you will see the country of origin of each person. There is a key on the right to tell you what country each color stands for. Below are two examples.  This is a great way to get a birds-eye view of your tree and some of your heritage! Also, make sure your “generations” tab is selected as 7– to give you a greater view of the tree. That selection is just next to the fan chart menu on top left. 

If your tree doesn’t go back that far, that’s ok! I love that the fan chart can help you see what IS missing in your tree- and an idea of where it could use your help! Many people don’t know where to start in their family history research, and I believe this fan chart will help many people to find the answer to that question! The holes in your tree can be a great jumping off point! 

This next setting is for SOURCES.  Sources are typically records, cemetery/ headstone information, books, links or anything helpful that gives proof or indicators about that person’s life.  The more sources you can find on a person, the more you can get an overview and understanding about what their life may have been like.  Sources can help you know who they married, how many children they had, if they served in the military, jobs they worked, etc.  Sources are an invaluable resource! 

In this view of the tree, it is so helpful in that you can see how many sources are attached to each person. White means no sources and dark orange means ten or more (with indicators in between as well).  So, if I see someone in the tree here who is white or pale orange, that might be a good place for me to start.  Not only do sources help to paint a life story, but when I see a person with zero sources, I know that it’s not just records that are missing- but often times family members too.  By finding some family records, I will frequently find missing children who have not been added to the tree.  There are many discoveries left to be made and its really exciting! 

The next tab is for STORIES.  I love that this is included because I love reading stories of other people’s lives–especially within my own family.  But in all fairness, this doesn’t necessarily mean it is always a story that has been attached to that person.  It could be a note, a memory, a life sketch or even a theory that has been attached by a contributor.  Or, it could be an actual story or even a journal entry! Those are like gold!!! 

I love this feature for a few reasons-

1) You may find stories and information that has been added by others that you have never seen.

2)  It shows who has little to no stories attached. This is a wonderful invitation to find and add some.

3) This tool can help bridge the gap between us and those who came before us. 

4) It can help young people to quickly and easily find a story of an ancestor to read about, share in a lesson, or use in a school assignment.  There are so many possibilities of how this feature could be used!  

The next option is PHOTOS.  Again- I absolutely love this feature! I have always loved photos and I love finding them for my family members.  I am so appreciative when someone shares photos I have never seen.  In this day and age of technology, I love that we can share photos so easily and that so many people can enjoy the blessings of getting to see an old photo of their ancestor.  Photos are treasures and I love getting to see what is available in the tree. 

Since FamilySearch has a collaborative tree, this is one of the benefits of that group effort! As with the sources and stories, a white section of the fan chart is an invitation to find and add photos of your ancestors.

There are many who will be grateful for your willingness to add these precious memories to FamilySearch.  There is also peace of mind that comes with having a backup to family photographs.

The next feature is for RESEARCH HELPS.  These are little messages letting us know there is a suggestion (in purple) , an error or question (in red) with the information already in there (for example-a child that was born after the mother was deceased), or actual record hints (in blue).  Those blue tabs/ RECORD HINTS are MANNA FROM HEAVEN! They aren’t always for the right person, so please do review the information carefully to see if it is a match, but the back end of FamilySearch does a great job of suggesting records for the right person! Take advantage of the computer doing the work for you! 

Below is another feature if you’d like to view the tree in a different color.  Under the OPTIONS tab on the upper right corner, use the drop down menu to select INVERT COLORS.  This will change the background colors to grey and some people prefer this style better. 

Under that INVERT COLORS selection, you can also select Print.  

You can print a PDF of the tree in the portrait view.  This will show you four generations beyond the selected person and also their children and spouses.  You can print the tree with anyone as the main person.  So, for instance, if I want to print my great grandmother’s tree, I would go to her person page and then click VIEW TREE on HER PAGE.  This will then show me JUST her line (not her spouse’s, for instance).  

These printed trees are great in an album, framed and even as gifts.   

There is one more view of the tree- which is DESCENDANCY, but I am going to devote a separate post to that since it has a lot of features of its own.  Basically, instead of the typical ascending family tree, it will descend from an ancestor back towards you.   It shows their children and grandchildren- their descendants!

I hope that this tutorial has shown you a few features that can help you explore your family history in a new way. Feel free to leave any questions you may have about this post! 

Also, I’d love to know – What is your favorite view of the tree and how has it helped or enlightened you? Please comment below! 

Quick Trick for Hard to Find Records- Video Tutorial

Quick Trick for Hard to Find Records- Video Tutorial

by | Beginner, Family History Tutorials, Family Search

This two-minute video is part of a series of quick Tuesday Tutorials, shared on our social media pages, to give bite-size research tips. This video shares how to expand your search options to see if new records pop up, when they have been otherwise difficult to find. This process especially works well if the family or the person moved around from place to place. I hope this little tip will be helpful!

How To Find Your Ancestor’s Photos on Family Search

How To Find Your Ancestor’s Photos on Family Search

by | Beginner, Family History Tutorials, Family Search, Finding Photos of Ancestors, Start Here

 Seeing an ancestor’s photo for the first time is a magical thing- especially if you have searched and hoped to find one.  I have personally been on a mission the last few years to find as many photos as possible of my progenitors and it has been a wonderful labor of love.  It has taken some time since I started out with NONE but I have definitely found success! My hope is that I can share some tips to help you do the same and also save some time in the process.  

This post is #1 in a 10 part series I am working on to show you the best resources for finding family photos with ease- and certainly with reward! 

 Since Family Search is free and is built as a collaborative SHARED FAMILY TREE, it is a great place to start your search.  In this tutorial, I will show you two ways to quickly navigate the site and find photos of your ancestors.

NOTE– Make sure you have already created a free family search account and connected to the tree.  I have another tutorial on that HERE if you need help getting started.  Once you have set up your tree, come back to this post and follow the steps below.

Method One: 

From the home page on Family Search, click on Family Tree.

(see photo below for example) 

 

This will take you to the tree.  In the TOP LEFT corner, make sure to SELECT:
FAN CHART
7 GENERATIONS
PHOTOS (in drop down menu)

Those with photos attached will appear light to dark orange.  The more photos attached to a person, the darker they will show up in the fan chart. 

FOR A FULL TUTORIAL ON NAVIGATING THE Family Tree & FAN CHART, GO HERE.

 

To see what photos are attached to that person, click on their name right there in the fan chart.  It will bring up a description tab (see photo below). 

I like to RIGHT CLICK on their NAME or where it says PERSON- and then click OPEN IN NEW TAB.  This isn’t necessary but does keep your fan chart open and takes you to a new page to view the person page.  I just find this easier.  But either way, go to the PERSON PAGE. 

Once you are on the PERSON PAGE, look for the MEMORIES tab.  Click on that. 

Now you can peruse through the photos (and stories too).  Don’t forget to click on MORE if it is displayed in the bottom left corner (see arrow in photo below) to open up ALL of the pictures in their memories. 

And that’s it for the first method.  Just repeat as desired with others in your tree! 

METHOD TWO: From the HOME PAGE, Click on MEMORIES and select OVERVIEW from Drop Down Menu. 

This will take you to the MEMORIES page where you will have several options for adding photos yourself etc., but for this tutorial, we are going to scroll down the page to the section where you can find photos others have uploaded. 

 

Go to the panel- Discover the memories others have shared about your family. Click on SEE MORE PEOPLE. 

Also, note that any time you want to WATCH a person, you can click on the star and you will be notified via email anytime someone adds or makes changes to that profile. 

Just look at this beautiful album of memories to explore! These are your “close family members” which may include parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins. These are only deceased individuals as Family Search keeps living people private and confidential. 

To look at the photos, just click on the tab you want.  Again, I prefer to RIGHT CLICK and select OPEN IN NEW TAB so that I don’t lose my place on the memories page. This will take me to the individual person’s memories for viewing. 

Another option is to search within this menu by name.  Just type in the name in the top right-hand corner.  This will show you what is available for that family. 

And that’s it for method two.  It’s pretty easy and fun to reap the fruits of other people’s generous acts of sharing! I would also like to add that if you do have family photos in your posession, please upload them and do the same for others.  There will be many grateful for your willingness to share the wonderful treasures of family photos! 

Please let me know if you have any questions! Happy hunting! 

The Secret to Strong & Happy Families

The Secret to Strong & Happy Families

by | Beginner, Connection, Inspiration, Stories

The Challenge of Our Day

One of the biggest struggles families face today is learning how to navigate through the challenges and unknowns of smartphones and social media. The research is starting to roll in about the toll it can take on mental and emotional health.   

As a parent myself, I worry about the obstacles my children face in a world that is different than the one I grew up in. We have not been trained by our own parents on how to raise a family in this environment. We are the first generation to tread this path and we are learning as we go. However, the thought of our children being guinea pigs isn’t very comforting. I do not believe that technology is bad. There are many wonderful benefits to having these tools and resources! But, I believe most parents want to know how to keep their families balanced and strong. 

 

A HOPEFUL STUDY

I was intrigued when I came across an article in The New York Times Magazine entitled “The Stories that Bind Us”, that offered some amazing insight on helping families in today’s world. It has become one of my favorites. The author asked the questions, “What is the secret sauce that holds a family together? What are the ingredients that make some families effective, resilient, happy?”  (Bruce Feiler, 2013) 

Fortunately for us, Feiler spent a few YEARS researching this question! I am only highlighting the conclusion of his studies, so I highly recommend you use the link below to read the entire article. It is very insightful!

Feiler says, “The single most important thing you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: develop a strong family narrative.”

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